


Midnight Blossoms

by xKaileo



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Multi, SasuSaku - Freeform, sasukexsakura - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:55:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29975619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xKaileo/pseuds/xKaileo
Summary: It's been a year and a half since Sasuke Uchiha left on his journey of redemption after the conclusion of the Fourth Great Shinobi War. Though the threat of Kaguya has been put to rest, there are still threats out there in the Shinobi World. When a small country plagued by a strange illness requests the help of Konoha shinobi, Sakura Haruno is sent to investigate... but what will she do when Sasuke Uchiha gets wrapped up in the investigation? Can they put aside past differences and work together to find the cause and save lives?
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14





	1. Undercover

There was always something Sakura loved about doing work that involved going undercover. Admittedly, it probably had to do with alternative tactics she'd been taught as a kunoichi in the academy; while many would rely on deceptive ninjutsu and genjutsu to conceal themselves, Sakura's methods were much simpler and just as effective in the situation she was in.

All it took was a simple backstory, opting out of cutting her long hair before a mission, a pair of glasses, and a lab coat with a casual outfit. So far, the villagers were none the wiser; as far as they were aware, Sakura was a doctor who'd recently moved from another land after losing her husband just days after their wedding. She completed the look with a simple ring she wore on her finger, crafting stories about his kindness and gentleness.

It wasn't hard to feign missing someone she cared about, after all. The man who truly had her heart had practically been dead to her for years, in a sense... and even though he was back to them psychologically, there was still distance between them. A distance that some days still hurt, just a little, because she missed him deeply.

Sakura was just finishing the setup of the clinic, ready to flip the sign when she could see someone outside. It was one of the female villagers, coming with a plate of what appeared to be freshly-baked cookies for her. She rushed to the door, adjusting the glasses on her face and flicking the lights on.

"Good morning," she greeted with a chuckle.

"Oh, good morning, Dr. Kobayashi," the woman greeted with a wave. "I do hope you're settling in all right. We're very glad to have you here in the village." The woman held out the box of cookies, and Sakura took them with a smile.

"Oh, please, you can call me Ume," she said with a chuckle. She'd of course picked a name that was close to her own in a manner; she herself had been named for her pink hair after the cherry blossoms, and ume was a close counterpart to that. "Perhaps if this were the city I might be inclined to go by such a formal title, but this isn't is it?" They were more welcoming than she expected. Or perhaps it was just a small group that was; the more cooperative the villagers were, the better. Only the daimyo of the land was aware of her true identity; not even the local lords had been informed, for the sake of investigation. 

"Oh, of course, Miss Ume."

"Ms. Ume, actually. I'm... well, I was married," she said, feigning a sombre tone. "Sorry. Probably not an appropriate topic for a first meeting, really."

The woman laid a hand on Sakura's arm. "Oh, dearie, you needn't worry. Ms. Ume it is, then. I will be sure to let everyone else know as well. These are for you, by the way. My homemade chocolate cookies. If you need anything, I'm just up the road, and I run the tailoring and antique shop in the square." Tailoring and antiques, huh? That might be something Sakura would have to check out. Antiques from other villagers could hold interesting information if she could find out their origins. The more she could find out about what was going on, the better.

"An antique shop? I might have to stop by. I do still need a few more furnishings for this place." She gave the woman a bright smile. "Anyway, I'm likely to have a few people coming in soon, I believe. There were a few letters of people who'd requested appointments, so I was able to schedule a few." 

"Of course! If it makes it easier, my son is the messenger boy, so you can stop by at the end of the day with your list of scheduled appointments for the next day, and he'll deliver the messages in the early morning for you. He should do rounds every two hours or so throughout the day, so if you have anything you need to send, you can send it through him." Well, that was convenient. She was used to messenger birds, but a messenger boy would be just as good. She'd have to learn their system quickly to ensure she could keep her clinic running efficiently. It was the front for her investigation, after all.

"Thanks, I appreciate it. Have a wonderful day!" She waved as the woman left the clinic, leaving her to finish getting the rest of her morning organized while she waited for patients. Her first patient was simple; a basic cold, nothing a simple herbal concoction couldn't take care of. She quickly got the medication ready for her patient and sent them on their way. She had to deal with very little; the occasional small injury from a farming or carpentry accident, a child who'd bumped their head, all things she could deal with in a short matter of moments. The worst was a broken arm she had to set and wrap using more conventional methods; she had to avoid using medical ninjutsu wherever she could to maintain her cover.

At the end of her day, she decided to go for a walk, wandering a bit behind the clinic. It was set in a beautiful spot; there was a small waterfall coming out of an outcrop in the cliff, bringing fresh, cool water into a small pond. It wasn't deep enough to swim in, but it was enough to wade in. It was also nicely secluded; it would be good for her to go for a swim on a hot day if she had the time. It was a beautiful night; she couldn't see anyone in the vicinity, which meant she had a few moments to herself.

That was, of course... until she saw something up on the cliff. No, not something; someone was up on the cliff. They wandered to the edge, half bent over, before falling clean over the edge to the ground. Sakura's instincts kicked in as she ran in the direction of the fallen male; whoever they were, they'd been banged up bad enough that they were barely recognizable. His clothing was torn, his dark hair matted and his face bloodied and bruised. She could tell his wounds were severe, and without immediate help, he would not make it.

"Don't you die on me," she said under her breath, lifting the man and sprinting back to her clinic. She was quick to open the door and get him into a bed, working rapidly as she tore at his clothes. One hand hovered over him to allow her medical ninjutsu to do its work; the other was doing its best to tear away at his clothing to make a better assessment of his injuries. His chest wounds were the most important to start; she made sure those were cleaned and closed before she began to work on his face.

The entire time, there was a sense of dread in her stomach. Something felt deeply familiar about this man, something she couldn't figure out; he was too bruised and bloodied for her to be able to tell his identity. As she worked on taking down the swelling on his face, she pulled out a small flashlight and checked the responsiveness of his right eye, followed by his left.

The left eye made her stop in her tracks. It made the pit in her stomach grow deeper, the sense of dread making her feel cold all over. His right eye was a shade of purplish-green with no iris, the colour covering even his sclera, with familiar rings that surrounded the pupil. Normally, there would have been six tomoe on the inner rings, but a lack of chakra had caused them to disappear.

Only one person in the world had a left eye like that. The moment she saw his left eye, the rest of his features made sense; the dark, messy hair, the pale alabaster skin, his lean but muscular frame, and the missing left arm from the elbow down. She hadn't even looked at the missing arm, but now she knew the arm wouldn't be an injury she had to worry about. Her breath had hitched in her throat, and she could feel tears welling in her eyes.

"Sasuke-kun, no," she whispered silently, wiping her eyes on her sleeve as she went back to working on his injuries. It was difficult to keep her tears at bay; it was taking every ounce of her willpower not to break down right there. Hours passed as she pushed herself to the brink of what energy she had, eventually taking the time to slowly wrap the remainder of his wounds, clean him up, and get him comfortably into a bed where he could rest. She pulled up a chair beside the bed, sitting there and watching him rest.

She was a mix of emotions. How had he managed to find his way out here? And more accurately, why was he out here? What would have brought him to this small town? She knew he'd been out in the world investigating and travelling, but here, of all places? Was it... fate, perhaps?

It had to be. She had to believe it was; if he'd been in the condition he was and she hadn't been here, he would be dead. His injuries had been severe; they weren't the kind of injuries that just any medical ninja could deal with easily. Luckily for Sasuke, she was not the average medical ninja. Sakura was leagues beyond that. Without her, he would be dead. 

Reaching out her hand, she grasped his right hand in hers, sniffling and wiping away a few more tears. She didn't want to sleep, not until she knew he was okay. She knew she needed to relax at the very least; she laid her head down on the bed beside him, silently praying. Please be okay, she thought to herself. Please. I can't lose you. Not you. Anybody but you.


	2. Investigation

Sasuke Uchiha was not an easy man to take down. It was for that reason that him being in the condition he was meant that whoever was up against him either got the drop on him, or they were a formidable foe. As he moved through the wooded forest he silently cursed himself for letting his guard down for that one single moment. One or two strikes was all it had taken, and his chakra was stifled and limited.

Damned Gentle Fist users. There was no question that one of them was a Hyuuga; only they had the anatomical knowledge of the circulatory system to a degree that could do this much damage to a single person. He'd let his guard down for just a second, and they'd managed to get a few good strikes in. He did his best then and there to escape, leaping through a portal with his Rinnegan with the last vestiges of chakra he could muster to do so.

He knew where he was. He wasn't far from where they'd fought, but it was a place he'd heard rumours about. Supposedly, there was a doctor in town; if he could convince that doctor to help him, he might have a chance at living. Funny... the only doctor he wished he had around was nowhere near. The chance that he might die was very near, and he knew it.

If only he could see her face one last time. See that smile, those soft pink locks, the way her cheeks flushed whenever she caught him staring at her. The way she suddenly went from strong and confident to shy and demure in his presence when the situation wasn't dire. _Sorry, Sakura,_ he thought to himself, feeling guilt well up inside him. _I might not be able to keep my promise._

He was _supposed_ to be able to die without any regrets, or so he'd hoped. That wouldn't be happening today, it seemed. As he reached the edge of the cliff, he could see the clinic just off the edge; his vision was too blurred to make out much more than the building, identifiable by the large cherry blossom tree that grew in front of it. Just then his vision went black, and he could feel himself falling over the small ledge, only to land with a heavy thud on the ground below. He was barely conscious as he could tell someone was carrying him, though he couldn't tell who.

He was in and out of consciousness as he could hear a voice. A familiar voice, one he knew he should have recognized but was too weak to pick out. Or perhaps he was imagining it; it sounded vaguely like Sakura's voice, though the likelihood of her being here was incredibly slim. He was certain that his mind was playing tricks on him. He was likely just imagining her voice because it was the one thing he _wanted_ to hear. The one voice he _wanted_ to be calling his name.

Hers was the last face he wanted to see if he'd be allowed.

Hours later he awoke, feeling the heat of pain from his abdomen. His wounds weren't as severe; someone had taken care of them, much better than he'd expected. The pain was still there, but lesser; a few days and he'd at least be back on his feet. His vision started to come back, and looking down he could see a figure was curled up beside him. He'd know that pink hair anywhere; he could feel the warmth of her hand grasping his, the light tickle of her hair against the tips of his fingers. The soft sound of her breaths as she was sound asleep, curled into a tight ball on the opposite side of the bed; it was easily large enough for two people, but the way she was laying it was clear she was attempting to take up as little space as possible.

His expression softened, feeling relieved. He didn't know how, but she was here. He didn't need to ask how. In fact, he didn't care how. His one wish was to see her again if it meant his certain death, and that was enough. Slowly, tentatively, and painfully his hand slipped out of hers, fingers gently reaching to brush a couple of strands of hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. Even Sakura, skilled as she was, would have had to work herself to the bone to deal with his injuries. He could only imagine the toll that, along with her tendency to worry too much, would have taken on her in the process. He'd give her time to sleep, and allow himself just a few moments to do the same, closing his eyes once more.

Sakura felt something touch her face; the touch was gentle, caring in a way, and it was enough to wake her from her light slumber. Green eyes slowly fluttered open to see her patient—no, to see Sasuke awake and staring at her. His expression was soft and gentle, though she could swear she saw the faintest blush on his cheeks from being caught.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," he said simply. Sakura sat up and rubbed her eyes, making sure she was seeing things right. He was awake. He was okay. He was alive. He was talking. He was... here.

"Sasuke-kun?" She asked in a strained tone, worry creasing her features? "You're... you're okay, you're alive... thank goodness," she said, resisting the urge to throw her arms around him in a relieved hug. It likely was for the better that she didn't; he was still in a bit of pain, though he was managing.

"Yeah. I'm okay... thanks to you." The corners of his lips twitched into a smile, though it faded quickly. He was back to business in seconds; he wondered what it was that she was doing here in the first place... and why _she_ was the one running the clinic. He'd figured out enough so far; it was obviously some sort of cover for a mission that she was on.

"What were you doing all the way out here?" She asked curiously. "You were badly injured... If I hadn't been there, you'd be..." She couldn't even finish the sentence. She didn't have to; the moment she spoke, he'd reached his hand up despite his injuries, laying a single finger over her lips to silence her.

"I know," he said softly, shifting uncomfortably from the pain. "I was investigating something, and bit off more than I could chew." He hated to admit that. He always prided himself on his personal strength and capability. To be taken down as easily as he was angered him, for a variety of reasons.

"The mysterious illness that's been going around?" She asked. He seemed unsurprised that she knew. "That's what I was sent here for, too. The daimyo asked for help, though the locals have no idea who I am. I don't think anybody saw you, either, so no one knows you're here. I did what I could to clean up and make sure there was no evidence." She saw him wincing again as he shifted in pain, prompting her to stand up and reach toward his chest, the glow of her chakra surrounding her hands.

"Here, this should help." She used to alleviate some of the pain, giving him a little comfort. He grunted in thanks, closing his eyes to try and breathe through the pain. Sakura was always so gentle; he'd always loved that about her.

"Thanks," he said, raising his hand to gently grasp her wrist. "Save your chakra. You may need it if they come again. I'll be fine." He was half-lying; he was still in pain, but he was doing his damnedest to hide it. The less she worried about him, the better.

"Okay," she said as she tentatively drew her hand away. "So you were attacked investigating, from what I understand?" He simply nodded in response to her statement. "So... that means that what you and I are looking into are the same. I have a mission to investigate it, so I can't exactly leave it to you, but... I wouldn't say no to having you help me." She couldn't control the blush that tinted her cheeks briefly. She'd missed him, and just the opportunity to spend time with him—even if the situation was that of a mission—interested her greatly.

He was silent for a few moments, considering. Sakura was useful in combat, but the two he'd been up against were not easy targets. They'd done a number on him; just the thought of her being in a fight like that made him worried. He didn't want her to be in danger. Then again... She could be useful. She was nothing if not durable, and she could stay alive through even dangerous injuries if she wanted. Ultimately, she was more durable in a fight than he was.

"Fine," he said simply, leaning back against the pillows. "I don't have much choice." His words sounded cold, but he was simply being honest; he was going to have to stay with her to let his wounds heal. It would give him time to decide his course of action from there; whether he'd help her, or investigate on his own. Either way, he'd be keeping a close eye on her investigations; if it meant keeping those two away from her to keep her safe, he'd do that. Working from the shadows was what he was used to. Keeping her safe was... a priority of his.

"Okay. We're in the living area of the clinic, so you'll be able to stay here while you recover. You should be okay to move around a little, as long as you take it easy. I'm going to have a few patients coming in today, but the list is on the dining table. I'm undercover as Ume Kobayashi, a doctor who's recently moved here. If you need anything, you'll have to call me that." She frowned, being thoughtful. "We can figure out the rest later." She gave him a soft smile. "Don't push yourself too hard, okay?" She stood up, stretching and shaking her shoulders out. "I'm going to go get the clinic set up."

A small 'hn' from him was the only response he gave as she left the room, preparing to get the clinic ready. It was going to be a long day, but after it was over, they'd be able to talk, catch up, and figure out what their next move would be.


	3. Animalis Impetum

The clinic was relatively quiet up until the afternoon. Small injuries, colds, the usual that one would expect running a small clinic. She was able to spend most of her morning preparing medications and making notes of what herbs she was going to have to start growing to help manage the symptoms. This small village had yet to be hit with the illness, but she already had a small garden started behind the clinic that was growing what she needed and would need once the illness reached them. Now that she knew Sasuke was here, she was working quickly to put together a second round of the medication she'd already started a few days ago. It was a concoction based on the limited information she had; if it was a real illness, they would be protected ahead of time from it. She suspected it wasn't a normal illness, though.

Around noon she ducked back into the living area to make some lunch, helping Sasuke to get to the table. She'd made rice balls the day before in the morning and still had some leftovers, so it was the perfect lunch.

Sasuke slowly took a bite of the rice ball. While his expression remained neutral as always, he was deeply pleased with the taste. Sakura was a much better cook than he'd expected, and the fact that he already loved rice balls made it even better. He was silent as he ate, not entirely sure what to say. What could he say, even? He'd left her at the village gates with a vague promise to return, a promise he'd yet to fulfill. A promise he had no idea how to fulfill just yet.

"So... are you feeling a little better?" She asked, drawing his attention. He simply shrugged in response. He was in better condition, but he wasn't going to let her in on just how much pain he was really in. He simply continued eating, saying nothing.

Sakura couldn't help but watch him, seeing how he was moving gingerly. It hurt her feelings just a little that he wouldn't reach out; she could tell he was hiding it. Damn it, why couldn't he just talk to her about these things? It was frustrating.

"Sasuke-kun," she said with a frustrated sigh. "I can tell you're in pain. Please, if it hurts, tell me. If these people are as strong as they were, strong enough to take _you_ down, that means that you're in danger—and that also means that by housing you, that puts _me_ in danger as well. The better condition the both of us are in, the better. I just don't want to rush your injuries, because that can cause you more problems in the long run." She reached a hand out to him, resting it very gently on his shoulder.

He was quiet for a moment, contemplating. She was right; him being here put her in danger, but he also knew he was better off around her than he was away from her. Close to her meant he could ensure nothing happened to her. They were better working together than anything else. "I'm fine. It's just a little pain," he said. It wasn't completely honest, but it was close enough to the truth. "I'll heal fine." That much was the truth. With her around, he had no doubts that he'd be back in working shape in a short period of time. She was practically a miracle worker when it came to that sort of thing.

"Okay. Well... here. Start taking these," she said, handing him some small capsules she'd made. "One in the morning, one at night. It's something I developed that I think will at least help combat whatever illness is coming. It hasn't hit this village yet, but I don't doubt that it's coming. The more prepared you and I are, the better."

"Yeah," he replied as he took the capsules from her. He was glad it was in a format like that and not a liquid form; he had a feeling if it was, it would have tasted like the most awful thing he'd ever had. He wouldn't want something like that to ruin the wonderful taste of her cooking. "Where's my sword?" He asked suddenly, glancing at her.

"Oh, um, I put it by the back door that leads to the garden. I wasn't sure what you wanted to do with it. I also took your cloak and clothes and washed them, and I'm going to do what I can to mend them tonight. I'm just glad your bag had a spare that you could wear." Otherwise, he wouldn't have had anything to wear, and that would have been incredibly awkward for the both of them.

"You don't have to do that," he said. "They're just clothes." He was touched by the fact that she would, but it seemed unnecessary.

"No, no, it's okay. It's better than having to get new ones, right?" She gave him a smile and stood up. "Anyway, I need to get back. There are some books in the living room if you're bored or need something to do." She stood up and picked up their dishes, putting them in the sink to deal with later and gave him a soft smile before making her way back out into the clinic.

In the early afternoon, Sakura could hear a noise outside, something that didn't sound good. She took a few seconds to duck back into the living area, seeing Sasuke reading a book. "There's a commotion outside. Stay here and stay quiet. I'll come to get you if we need to run. I don't think it's dangerous... for us, anyway." She grabbed a bow and quiver of arrows that she'd been hiding in the closet and slung it over her shoulder, coming toward the front area where she could see some of the larger villagers hollering at each other.

"Since when do they come near the village?" One of them yelled, brandishing his pitchfork at the beast that appeared to be attempting to attack them. It was a large, feral-looking mountain lion; normally such a creature wouldn't come near humans, but this one appeared to be ravenously hungry by the way it was drooling at the large men before it.

"I don't know, but the damn thing is quick, so watch yourself-- DAICHI!" The second villager screamed as the feline leaped at one of the smaller farmers, jaw latching onto the man's arm. He screamed in agony, attempting to shake the beast to no avail. Sakura swore internally, watching the cat as best she could. It was moments like this she wished she wasn't undercover; a beast like this wouldn't be a problem for her normally. Nevertheless, being able to shoot a bow and arrow to hunt wasn't abnormal, so she would have to make do.

Drawing the bow with an arrow nocked, she inhaled deeply and slowly let out her breath, calming herself and focusing. She watched the creature's movements, waited for its head to turn in her direction, and fired. The arrow soared true, embedding itself right in the creature's eye socket, causing it to release the man's arm and howl in agony, bleeding from the eye. One more arrow and she fired it directly into the beast's forehead, followed by a third in the chest. All vital spots, all causing the lion to stagger back before falling over on its side, dead.

The men were all staring at the doctor, who released a shaky breath and lowered the bow. She gestured to the body as she rushed to the injured villager's side. "Burn the body until it's ashes and nothing more. Don't take anything from it. Not its hide, not the meat, anything. Burn all of it. It could be infected." She lifted the injured man's good arm over her shoulder, doing her best to support him. "I'm closing the clinic for today so I can look after his wounds. Akio, can you get your son to send a message around the village that the rest of the afternoon appointments are cancelled due to an emergency patient? Thanks." The man nodded and took off at a run with his companion in tow while Sakura dragged the injured man in and got him on a bed.

She worked with expert speed, quickly cleaning and disinfecting the wounds. She gave the man a small anesthetic to numb the area then got to work on stitching it closed. He was sedated enough that he wouldn't be able to tell she used healing techniques on it; she simply lessened the damage and staunched the bleeding with her chakra, enough to keep his life out of danger. She wasn't going to let this man die if she could help it. 

With the wounds expertly stitched and bandaged, she got to work putting together some medication for him while she waited for his wife to arrive. Once that was handled, she sent him on his way with his wife and went about closing up for the day. She'd made sure to send him both with medication and with the concoction she'd been putting together for the local illness; from what she'd learned from other villages, the illness first turned animals against the villages, then eventually began to infect the population. If she could stop it from infecting that man, she might be able to slow down the spread. 

It was a long shot, but it was better than nothing.


End file.
